Olympiakos chairman Evangelos Marinakis was interviewed by UEFA and Cosmote TV following the Europa League group stage draw. He stated that the club's objective is not only to compete for the Greek league title, but also to reach the Europa League final and ultimately win it. He also discussed the club's difficulties in recruiting players this summer and his support for head coach José Luis Mendilibar.

In this season's Europa League group stage, Olympiakos will face AC Milan, Marseille, Sparta Prague, Rennes, Jagiellonia Białystok, Celje, Hoffenheim, and Torino.

Regarding the draw result, Marinakis said: "For us, I think this is a good draw. Of course, we will face strong teams like Milan, Marseille, and Rennes. However, Olympiakos has accumulated rich experience in European competitions over the years, and I hope that after the transfer window closes, we will have a very competitive squad that can go far."

Then, in an interview with Cosmote TV, Marinakis further stated: "Everyone should remember that we have played against Milan before and managed to progress. Milan is a giant club, as are Marseille and Rennes. There are at least four strong teams in this draw, and we must be extra careful. As for the other four teams, I am confident Olympiakos has the ability to beat them."

"Since we missed the Champions League, I think Olympiakos has sufficient experience, and before the transfer window closes, we will recruit players in areas where the team currently lacks depth. Our dream is to go far in the Europa League. I think we have experienced players and a coach who has been successful in the Europa League and Conference League. As everyone knows, history repeats itself, so why can't it happen again?"

Regarding the club's transfer work, Marinakis emphasized that the Greek league has limited appeal in European football, which creates realistic difficulties for Olympiakos in attracting top-level players at the peak of their careers.

He said: "Everyone in Greece must understand that Olympiakos may be a big club, but unfortunately, Greek football ranks relatively low in Europe, which is a fact. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, for young and very talented players, the Greek league is not their first choice."

"Everyone must understand this, because some people who don't understand how transfers work or the state of European football keep discussing various things. I want to tell you that there is no top player aged 23, 24, 25, or 26 who will think about coming to Greece to play football in June or even July."

"So we must wait until the final two weeks of the transfer window. At that time, some players who failed to transfer to top European leagues may choose to come to Greece."

Marinakis believes that owning Nottingham Forest at the same time can be an important advantage for Olympiakos in attracting players: "Olympiakos also has an advantage, which is that we own Nottingham Forest. Many players dream of playing in the Premier League because it is the best league in Europe. So they will think that if they can perform well at a club like Olympiakos, they will have a chance to achieve that goal. This does help us attract many players."

However, he reiterated that it is not easy for Greek clubs to conduct high-level recruitment: "Everyone must understand where our league stands. We work hard every day to break through this barrier, and not just Olympiakos. I have also seen the situation of other Greek teams, such as Panathinaikos and AEK Athens, and they are also trying to make a breakthrough, but it is not easy."

Marinakis also cited the Puerta transfer as an example: "Fans should not underestimate anything. For instance, Puerta—we were even willing to pay his 16 million euro release clause, but he refused to join because he preferred to join Benfica. In this situation, what else can you do?"

Regarding the team's playing style, Marinakis clearly stated that Olympiakos must adopt attacking football with high pressing.

He said: "Olympiakos must play attacking football and must constantly press. Everyone saw that when we won the Conference League, high pressing was one of the most important factors for success. You must press your opponent, win the ball back, and then use the opponent's mistakes to score more easily."

"Olympiakos should not allow the goalkeeper to constantly kick long balls, and the center-backs should not play this way either, because we experienced this situation last season. I'm sure everyone has understood that we must play differently, and we have players who can play this way."

Regarding Mendilibar, Marinakis said: "Players need proper guidance, and I believe Mendilibar knows better than all of us what needs to be done. We trust him. There are many rumors out there, but we support him, and he supports us. Going forward, we will be united and move ahead."

Finally, Marinakis openly stated the team's two main objectives for this season: "We want to win the league title and the Europa League—these are our goals, and we will not hide it."

"Today, perhaps few people believe we can do it, but tomorrow more people will believe. When everyone believes, we can achieve it. I said the same thing when I first took over the club in 2010, and many people laughed at that time and didn't believe it. Then, one person believed, two people believed, and eventually everyone stood together."

"I also said the same thing to the children who participated in the youth Champions League. When you have beaten those strong teams, and not by defending, but by winning matches with excellent football, then you have the ability to do it. As long as you believe, everything is possible."

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